Her amber eyes were bright, swirling erratically with smoke. She leaned in closer, that blade sinking in a little more, and he felt a trickle of blood run down his neck.
“Let me make myself clear,Raz,” she said, and her tone was so dark and predatory, the dragon in his soul immediately raised its head. A warning growl rumbled from his chest, and she fuckingsmiled. “If you ever threaten me again, we’ll see if you’re as talented as the king you hate so much in surviving one of my blades. Isthatclear?”
His answering smile was all teeth when he said, “It appears we’ve come to an understanding.”
“It appears we have.”
They eyed each other a moment longer before Kailia pulled her dagger away at the same time he took a step back. Shedropped gracefully back down on the sofa, her feet tucked under her, while he swiped at the blood on his neck. His magic was already working to heal the small cut.
“Is there a reason you didn’t come down to breakfast today?” he asked.
“No,” she answered, the word more of a murmur as she studied the cover of the book in her lap far too hard.
“Did you eat then? Or do you need food?”
“Cethin and I ate a small breakfast here.”
“Great, then let’s go,” he said, crossing the room to grab her cloak from the hooks near the door.
He needed to get out of the castle. Get some air. He’d go flying if he could. Two arguments with two different females was more than enough for one day, even if his own actions were the reasons for both of them.
“Do I need to put it on, or just bring it with me today?” she asked, plucking the cloak from his outstretched hand, careful not to touch him.
“That’s your choice, but we’re going to my study at Tybalt’s for more books,” he answered.
She nodded, the other book tucked under her arm. When she tossed the cloak over her shoulder, he held out his hand again, and she swallowed thickly before placing her fingers in his.
“So starting small isn’t going well?” he asked.
Her eyes went wide. “Why would you say that? Did Cethin say something?”
He paused, tilting his head. “Should he have said something to me? Is there something I should be aware of?”
“No,” she answered in a rush. “Can we go please?”
He nodded, eyeing her as he Traveled them to the Greybane Estate, directly into his study. Taking the book from beneath her arm, he returned it to its proper place on the shelves before scanning for another volume that would be helpful to her. Theproblem was, she was so godsdamn quiet on her feet, he couldn’t hear where she was in the room. Which meant she could be touching anything.
“Lia,” he called out, her name bordering on a growl.
“What?” she answered from somewhere to his right.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for a book.”
“You don’t need to. I’m finding what you need.”
“I’m looking for a different book.”
“Tell me what book, and I’ll find it.”
“I don’t knowexactlywhich book.”
A growl of frustration rumbled from his chest, and he abandoned his own search to track her down.
She was at the far end of the study, fingers trailing along spines. His eyes narrowed, warding off a twitch in his left eye.
“How are you looking for a book if you don’t know which book you’re looking for?” he asked, trying to keep his voice even. The last thing he wanted was another argument with her today, especially when she was more of the stab first, communicate reasonably later, type.
